


The Asset and The Assistant

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 10:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10410594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: Prompt: Omg you should do one with Teen!Tony getting taken by Hydra when he's young and turned into a mini super/winter solider to help Bucky on missions through out the years. Except when Steve frees Bucky Tony is all like where the hell is Bucky and breaks free from the programming to find him.The Asset must have performed poorly during its last mission. It was being given an assistant.The Asset eyed the dark-haired youth–The Assistant. Its eyes were as dead as the other Winter Soldiers’.Why was this youth an assistant and not a soldier?





	1. Chapter 1

The Asset must have performed poorly during its last mission. It was being given an assistant.

The Asset eyed the dark-haired youth–The Assistant. Its eyes were as dead as the other Winter Soldiers’.

Why was this youth an assistant and not a soldier?

The Asset knew it shouldn’t question the handlers and should only think in battle—and only about the next strike. It should study The Assistant and search for weak points as well as strengths to use as needed in battle. Instead The Asset found itselfs comparing The Assistant to the other Winter Soldiers. The Assistant was leaner with some muscle but not much. Most likely it was more nimble. It would have to rely on tricks in battle to win.

The Asset didn’t use tricks. The Asset struck down its opponents fast and hard and would take on damage if it meant a killing blow.

“Do you understand?” The handler asked.

The Asset nodded. A blatant lie. Lies meant punishment, but so did hesitation. The Asset had gambled in favor of the lie going undetected.

The handler made a satisfied noise then gestured for The Asset and The Assistant to follow.

They were led to a small room to spar. In the room was a box of of items belonging to the labs. The handler barked an order at The Assistant, and The Assistant went over to the box. It sifted through the items then began pulling them apart and putting them together.

The Asset watched in fascination. Its study of The Assistant was interrupted by the handler’s order for The Asset to attack.

The Asset charged at The Assistant. The Assistant let out a sound of surprise. It scurried away, holding the gun of some sort it was crafting in its hands as well as a few loose parts. The Assistant snapped the parts into the gun just as The Asset seized The Assistant by the collar and slammed a fist into its face.

Blood flowed from The Assistant’s nose and mouth. Its hands shoved the last piece into the gun. It rammed the barrel of the gun into The Asset’s stomach. The Asset was forced to release The Assistant or be shot. The Asset was trained to take damage, but a bullet wound to the gut would be fatal and would compromise any mission. It would only be worth it if he killed his target in the process, and because there was no command to kill there were double reasons for The Asset to dodge.

A bullet hadn’t blasted out from the gun, but an energy of some sort, and for a moment The Asset felt something cold run down its spine.

The Assistant scowled at The Asset. The Assistant’s form was curled—terrible for fighting—and reminiscent to a wild animal when cornered.

The Assistant’s eyes flickered to the handler, and The Asset knew The Assistant’s next move.

The Assistant aimed the gun at the handler, but before it could fire, The Asset seized The Assistant by the wrist and snapped the thin bones.

The Assistant cried out in pain–it had not been erased of emotion yet. The Assistant dropped the gun and The Asset kicked the weapon away.

The Asset locked its limbs around The Assistant so it could not harm the handler or itself further.

The handler nodded. “Good. Now, continue sparring.”

* * *

The Assistant was exceptional.

The Assistant did not possess the same strength as the Winter Soldiers; however, it was stronger than the handlers, technicians, and agents. As predicted it moved faster than the Winter Soldiers. The Assistant was also a builder. The handlers during sparring liked to leave tools out, and The Assistant would flee from its opponents and scoop up the tools to rapidly build whatever weapon it could to defend itself.

Some days though The Assistant was given tools outside of a spar session, and The Asset was told to monitor The Assistant.

The Asset did. At first The Asset kept its distance, but after some time The Asset seated itself next to The Assistant and watched as its fingers moved fluidly over the items and tools it was given.

The Assistant was not pleased by the proximity the first few times The Asset plopped itself next to The Assistant. However, once The Assistant realized The Asset would not interfere with its crafting, The Assistant no longer seemed to mind The Asset’s presence. In fact, it soon after began to rest against The Asset whenever it took several hours for The Assistant to complete its task.

The Asset should have pushed The Assistant away; however, The Assistant, as stated, was exceptional.

The Asset couldn’t bring itself to push away its assistant.

* * *

The Assistant made missions much easier. What The Asset had considered a potential liability had become The Asset’s greatest strength.

It was why when The Assistant was forced to spar with another Winter Soldier and the soldier pulled out a knife The Asset jumped in front of the blade and took the hit. What followed was a flurry of strikes by The Asset, The Asset’s movements faster and stronger than they had been in previous fights.

The Asset stole the blade and stood protectively in front of its assistant.

The handlers shouted orders and murmured to each other. Eventually one calmed the rest, and a decision was made.

Two more Winter Soldiers were brought in to spar against The Asset and The Assistant.

Something vibrated in The Asset’s chest as it faced down the other soldiers.

The Assistant stepped forward and stood next to The Asset. Its hand drifted behind its back, a movement that told The Asset The Assistant had managed to pick up something and conceal it.

The Asset and The Assistant would break the Winter Soldiers in two.

The Asset blinked. Pain rocketed through its body. The Asset ignored the pain to take in its surroundings. It could hear cars in the distance and its current location was a wooded area next to a stream. The Asset’s head was pillowed in The Assistant’s lap.

The Assistant bent over The Asset, blocking out the rays of the sun. The pose gave The Asset a perfect view of The Assistant’s whiskey gaze that was tinged pink. Dried tear tracks stained The Assistant’s face.

“I miscalculated.” The Assistant’s voice trembled, from disuse or emotion The Asset wasn’t sure.

Emotion meant The Assistant must be put in the chair. Something in The Asset further ached at the thought. To keep a secret from the handlers would mean punishment, but The Asset found that it would accept such pain if it meant The Assistant could go without it.

The Assistant’s forehead brushed The Asset’s. “I’m sorry.”

The Asset blinked, not understanding The Assistant’s remorse.

The mission came back to him. Once The Asset had finished his part The Assistant was supposed to bomb the building. The Asset should have had plenty of time to escape, but it hadn’t.

That explained the burns it felt.

The Asset groaned and reached up to bury its fingers in The Assistant’s hair and held The Assistant in place.

The movement was painful, but worth it.

The Assistant sobbed.

The Asset squeezed The Assistant’s head. “Only in front of me.”

The Assistant tensed.

The Asset pulled The Assistant’s head off so their gazes met. “Only show emotion in front of me. It’s the chair otherwise.”

The Assistant nodded. Its tears fell and hit The Asset on the cheek.

It was almost as if The Asset were crying too.

* * *

The new mission required the aid of The Assistant as well as Hydra Agents.

Nicholas Fury, director of SHIELD, was the target.

The Hydra Agents would attack Nicholas Fury. The plan was to trap him in his vehicle and kill him. Should that plan fail what would follow would be a chase that would lead him to The Asset where The Asset could finish the already weakened target.

The Asset waited in the transport vehicle as The Assistant typed away on a laptop. Beside The Assistant their two handlers monitored The Assistant’s actions, weapons aimed and ready to sedate The Assistant should it attempt to use its computer privileges to harm Hydra.

The Assistant still had its moments of rebellion.

The Assistant looked up from typing and met the Asset’s gaze. “Propulsion systems offline.”

One of the handlers backhanded The Assistant, and The Asset had to quell the urge to seize the handler by the throat and throw him out the vehicle’s window.

“No talking.”

The Assistant said nothing and kept its stare deadpan, but The Asset could see the tension in The Assistant.

A minute later, The Asset and The Assistant were being sent out of the vehicle, The Asset armed with a device that would latch a bomb to the underside of the target’s vehicle.

Cars swerved out of their way as they strolled into the middle of the street.

“Here,” The Assistant said and stopped.

The Asset nodded and readied for the target.

The Asset saw the target barreling down on them and waited for a clear shot. The moment it had one, it shot the bomb.

There was an explosion and the vehicle flipped. The Asset stomped toward the vehicle, knowing The Assistant would follow.

The Asset heard The Assistant draw its gun, preparing to offer cover should The Asset need it. The target was known to be a skilled fighter. Should the target still be capable of fight, the dual opponents should be more than enough to subdue him.

Two gunshots fired from the car.

The Assistant stalled behind The Asset.

As so many times in the past as it had occurred, the moment The Assistant was injured The Asset’s body chilled as if it were in cryo sleep. Then just as fast as its body had frozen, The Asset burned with an unspeakable rage.

The Asset marched over to the vehicle and ripped off the door.

A hole had been cut through the vehicle and into the ground.

The target had escaped.

* * *

The Asset watched as The Assistant’s wounds were treated.

The Assistant didn’t heal as fast as The Asset.

The Assistant sat on the lab table as technicians, handlers, and agents discussed  what to do with The Assistant. The Asset and The Assistant had another target even more dangerous than Nicholas Fury assigned to them now.

The Assistant was hunched over as it listened in on the conversation.

A need to touch The Assistant and offer it comfort echoed in The Asset, but it couldn’t show such sentimentality in front of the handlers and other Hydra personnel.

The Assistant and The Asset caught each other’s gazes.

A flash of hurt and longing shined in The Assistant’s eyes before dimming.

It was too tempting for The Asset just then to ignore self preservation and touch The Assistant’s hand.

Two hours later, as The Asset watched The Assistant be put in cryo, The Asset almost wished it had.


	2. Chapter 2

“Bucky. ….Bucky!”

Bucky startled out of his reverie. His mind had been fogged over with images of his time in Hydra, but instead of seeing blood, screaming, and assassination, he’d seen a young man building a small, round, bomb. In his daydream the young man had handled the bomb and his tools with such delicate care, and not in the manner of someone doing so for safety reasons, but handling them in such a way because he loved them.

It was very different from Bucky’s usual flashbacks.

“Are you okay?” Steve frowned down at Bucky. “You zoned out on me for a while there.”

Bucky shrugged. He gripped the couch cushion he was sitting on, and looked down at the journal in his lap. He’d gotten as far as writing the date and then had stopped.

“I’m me,” he stated.

Steve somehow managed to frown harder.

Steve squatted down so he was more at Bucky’s eye level and squeezed Bucky’s knee. “You can talk to me, Bucky. I promise I just want to help you.”

Bucky scrwed his eyes shut and inwardly shuddered. His guilt weighed heavily on him, not just for all that he had done, but for all he was doing now. Since he’d regained his memories and Steve had found him, Bucky had been a mooch. All he did was stay in Steve’s dinky apartment and occasionally go out to buy groceries.

Steve had tried to get him to attend therapy sessions with his new friend Sam, but Bucky had found himself unable to speak during therapy, and so he’d given up on it.

Bucky was lost and didn’t know what to do with his life.

He didn’t know why he was still alive and others weren’t.

* * *

Bucky hadn’t gone outside in three days so he forced himself to go to the farmer’s market and buy some fresh fruit. He was examining a plum when someone strolled up and stood centimeters behind him. Bucky could feel the person breathing down his neck. He tensed.

Bucky put down the plum and slowly turned. He dreaded what he would see. A Hydra Agent trying to get him back? A relative or friend of one of his victims that had recognized him?

Bucky’s stomach hit the ground when what he saw was the young man from his daydreams.

The young man cocked his head, tufts of brown curls falling to the side. His eyes roved over Bucky then snapped to meet Bucky’s gaze.

“Asset,” the young man stated.

Bucky licked his lips as his body tensed. Fondness swelled in his chest, warring with his fight or flight instincts, which were telling him to make a decision about which he should do quick.

The young man frowned. “Asset,” he tried again.

“I’m…Bucky.”

The young man stared at Bucky.

Tears formed in the corners of the young man’s eyes then trickled down his cheeks. He didn’t say anything. His fingers twitched at his side like he wanted to grab something.

Something in Bucky’s chest ached, and before he could think better of it, Bucky wrapped his arms around the young man and hugged him as tightly as he could without breaking any bones.

* * *

Bringing the guy back to Steve’s place was probably the stupidest idea Bucky had ever had. Luckily for him, Steve could be equally stupid and was a complete softy–at least once Steve realized that the young man had been brainwashed like Bucky and just like Bucky he seemed to be breaking out of his programming. Steve let the young man stay at his place.

Bucky just wished Steve would stop staring at Bucky and the guy’s linked hands then following it up with an inquiring look aimed at Bucky.

Bucky was just as confused as Steve about all this crap. He just knew that he liked holding the guy’s hand, and the guy–The Assistant, as he liked to be called–enjoyed holding Bucky’s hand too.

He also liked to plaster himself against Bucky’s side whenever Bucky sat or lied down. When Bucky tried to go to sleep The Assistant clung to Bucky like a lemur and refused to sleep on the bed that had been made for him unless Bucky joined him. Bucky finally gave up and let The Assistant cling to him all night long, which was why he was startled the next morning when he woke up alone.

A quick trip to the living room though, and Bucky found The Assistant seated on the living room floor with a cup of coffee next to his crossed legs and every piece of tech Steve owned surrounding him.

“Uh…Assistant…what are you doing?” Bucky asked.

The Assistant looked up and smiled as he unscrewed something inside Steve’s microwave. “Fixing things.”

“I don’t think anything was broken.”

“It’s old. All of it needs upgrading.”

Bucky blinked, not sure how to respond. He went over to The Assistant and sat down across from him. After ten seconds of silence he asked, “Do you want any help?”

The Assistant smiled. He adjusted his position so he and Bucky were seated side by side. He explained to Bucky what he was doing and why.

Bucky nodded along, enjoying The Assistant’s voice.

When Steve came out of his bedroom, he threw a conniption over the state of his living room, but he calmed down once he saw how relaxed Bucky and The Assistant were. He frowned at them occasionally, but he kept any negative thoughts to himself.

* * *

“His name is Tony Stark.” Natasha dropped a folder onto the coffee table.

Bucky and Tony (Bucky was so happy to finally have the name for the guy) were currently trying to figure out how to update Steve’s computer with the limited amount of resources they had. Tony swore it could be done, and since Bucky knew nothing about how computers worked, Bucky just nodded and went along with whatever Tony said.

“He was pronounced deceased almost two decades ago,” Natasha added. Her brow pinched as she studied Bucky and Tony for reactions.

Steve had crossed his arms over his chest. He looked like he wanted to fight someone. “So Hydra faked his death and then turned him into another Winter Soldier?”

“Assistant,” Tony corrected and thrust some wires at Bucky. “Hold please,” Tony requested.

Bucky nodded and took the wires.

“Not strong enough to be a solider. Only assist,” Tony said.

Somehow Natasha and Steve’s frowns deepened.

Bucky scooted protectively closer to Tony.

Tony stopped fiddling with the computer. He blinked up at Bucky for a moment, his eyes still slightly dead, but Bucky could detect just a hint of emotion.

Tony smiled and rested his forehead on Bucky’s shoulder. “My Asset.”

Bucky’s heart thumped. He reached up and ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. He rested his chin on Tony’s head and sighed. He felt a memory prickle at the back of his mind. It was mostly an emotion, but he knew even when he’d been Hydra’s weapon, some part of him had managed to feel love for Tony.

He still felt so weak and broken, but that little spark of love for Tony helped ease some of his pain.

Steve coughed to clear his throat. “You two want a room?” He said as a joke.

Tony hummed in consideration. “Yes.”

Steve went wide-eyed, and Natasha moved her head in such a manner that Bucky knew she was surprised, curious, and amused all at once.

After a moment, she nodded then turned to Steve. “Let’s discuss this somewhere else. Let them enjoy themselves before the euphoria of their reunion ends.”

Pink tinted Steve’s cheeks as he nodded and followed Natasha to a different room.

Once they were gone, Tony turned his head and kissed Bucky’s cheek. “Wanted to do that for so long.”

Bucky reached down between them and squeezed Tony’s hand. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wonderful Kamaete created [beautiful art for this fic](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/post/159004213181/i-miscalculated-the-assistants-voice-trembled), so please go take a look at it.


End file.
